Ford strategically partners with Alibaba for A.I. development and marketing

Ford wants to make bigger inroads in the world’s largest automotive market by partnering with tech giant Alibaba. As China’s largest e-commerce site Alibaba is widely known and used by many, while Ford is a globally known automotive brand. This strategic partnership will allow Ford and Alibaba to collaborate on a wide range of innovation solutions such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital marketing, and help developing new electric vehicles. Alibaba’s AliOS operating system may see integration into future Ford products as well. China has big plans as the government is setting goals for an all-electric car future. Jim Hackett, Ford President and CEO said “that collaborating with tech leading partners will help build on Ford’s vision to create smart vehicles in a smart world, while enhancing and revolutionizing a consumer’s mobility experience.”

Both companies will benefit from this collaboration with Ford gaining from Ali’s expertise with online sales, while Alibaba will benefit from Ford’s global recognition.

Alibaba’s Taobao marketplace and T-Mall are both the largest e-commerce sites in China. Ford may utilize T-Mall to sell cars directly to consumers.